"Illegal" police booths on footpaths under HC scanner

Business Standard: New Delhi: Thursday, 21 May 2015.

Delhi High Court today asked the municipal bodies to "find out the truth behind" the allegation that the city police was illegally constructing bank ATMs and police booths on a "mass scale" on footpaths and other public places without sanction of competent authorities.

A bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva gave the suggestion on a PIL by an NGO which was asked by the court to give details or examples of such construction, supported by pictures and documents, within four weeks and listed the matter for hearing on August 26.

The NGO in its PIL alleged "mass scale illegal and unauthorised construction of AXIS Bank ATMs and police booths being constructed by Delhi Police on government land, pedestrian footpath as well as other public places without permission or sanction of building plan approved by the competent authorities".

The NGO has also alleged that in response to a query raised by it under Right to Information (RTI) Act, public information officers of various police stations have said no permission has ever been taken from the land owning authority for construction of police booths.

It alleged that the concerned departments who have ample power to take action against the illegal constructions and encroachment on government land "are in fact not taking any action at all against illegal stalls, shops, police booths and Axis bank ATMs".

The NGO has sought directions to the municipalities, Delhi Develoopment Authority (DDA) and other authorities to "demolish and remove all unauthorised construction and encroachment on government land and pedestrian footpaths".